


hey moon, please forget to fall down

by katwow



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Bisexual Suki (Avatar), F/F, Lesbian Yue (Avatar), suki is a viligante, yue is a baker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28381962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katwow/pseuds/katwow
Summary: yue's life is uneventful until a vigilante named kyoshi comes crashing through her window. oh, and suki keeps flirting with her while she works at the bakery.
Relationships: Suki/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31





	hey moon, please forget to fall down

**Author's Note:**

> for twitter user @opalsupremacy as part of the yueki holiday exchange! i hope i hit all your headcanons, i tried to fit them all in.
> 
> title is from northern downpour by panic at the disco because pretty odd was written for yueki
> 
> as always, kudos and comments are appreciated and you can come yell at me on twitter @kyoshixrangi or tumblr @zukka-supremacy
> 
> enjoy!

Yue has just drifted off to sleep when there’s a frantic knocking at her window. Confused and just a little dazed, she gets up to open it.

She’s suddenly awoken when a girl tumbles into her arms, the two of them a heap on the floor. She yelps, fully alert in the face of her intruder.

‘Who are you?’ she shouts, completely dumbfounded. Yue untangles herself from the heap of robes and limbs, staring down in shock.

The intruder is wearing white face paint with red around the eyes, a gold headdress and a heavy green cloak. Realisation dawns on her as she recognises the costume of a Kyoshi warrior.

‘Oh!’ Yue says, suddenly shy. ‘You’re a warrior. But why are you here?’

She stood up slowly. ‘I’m sorry to intrude like this, I was running from the Dai Li.’ She was somewhat frantic in her response, as if she thought Yue would kick her out.

An awkward moment passes between the two, Yue staring anywhere but the girls face as she searches for something to say.

‘Would you like some tea?’ Yue blurts awkwardly.

An amused smile blooms on the warriors face. ‘I’d love some.’

Yue bustles around the kitchen, stuck on what tea to brew before she decides jasmine tea should be sufficient. ‘Take a seat anywhere you like, it’s alright’ she calls over her shoulder, belatedly remembering to be a good host.

Once the tea is ready, she sets a cup in front of the warrior. ‘Thank you’ she smiles warmly at Yue.

They sip the tea in silence for a moment while Yue works up the courage to talk to the imposing woman before her. 

‘I’m Yue, it’s nice to meet you.’ She tries for a smile but with her shyness it probably comes out as more of a grimace.

‘How rude of me, I should’ve introduced myself. I’m Kyoshi.’ Yue knew immediately this was a fake name but didn’t push it.

‘Why were you running from the Dai Li, Kyoshi?’

‘There was an… incident, up in the middle ring. They raided a brothel and instead of arresting all the men caught inside, most of whom were from the upper ring, they tried to arrest the women. I had help from some other vigilantes but there were a lot of Dai Li so we decided to split them up.’ She explained as she blew on her tea, cooling it. Yue was impressed: she’d never met a vigilante but knew about the underground network of people fighting against the massively corrupt Ba Sing Se government.

‘You must be tired, running all the way here from the middle ring’ Yue blushed, suddenly embarrassed by the clutter and overall grunginess of her lower ring apartment.

‘Only a little,’ Kyoshi replied, sipping her tea. ‘What’s this?’ she asks, gesturing to the small tapestry that hands above the tiny kitchen table.

‘It’s from my tribe, the Northern Water Tribe. That symbol there represents the moon, it’s supposed to bless this space and… ward off intruders’ she explained, hesitant to mention the last part.

Kyoshi laughed suddenly, putting down her tea to hold her side as it turned into a wince. ‘Well, I’m sorry about that.’ 

‘Are you hurt?’ Yue asked, alert and fretting. ‘I have some bandages in the bathroom, I could help you.’

‘It’s alright, I just need some rest. Thank you for the tea, I’d better get going.’

‘Hold on, you can’t travel like that. You could just sleep here, I’ve got plenty of room!’ she insisted, despite the minimal size of her apartment. 

Kyoshi paused a moment, considering. ‘Only if you're sure it’s not any trouble, I can sleep on the couch.’

‘No, take the bed, I’ll survive on the couch for one night!’

Kyoshi just smiled and lay down on the couch. ‘Goodnight yue, thank you for letting me stay here.’

Yue packed up the tea and went back to bed, thinking about how strange this evening had become.

Yue woke with the sun, stretching slowly. The events of the previous night felt like little more than a dream, especially since her couch was now empty. She dressed slowly, waking up for another day of work when she found a note tucked into the blanket on the couch.

‘Thank you, Yue. You have the Kyoshi warrior’s protection now. -Kyoshi’

There was a crescent moon on the back of the note, along with a fan that resembled her headdress. Yue smiled at the note, placing it on her bedside table before she went downstairs. 

She had been running the best (and only) Northern Water Tribe bakery in the lower ring for a few years now, but that didn’t make the mornings any easier. She lost herself in kneading bread and idle customer service for a few hours, completely exhausted from her late night.

Before long, her favorite part of Tuesday morning pushed into the store as she was icing a cookie. 

‘Hey! How’s my favorite water tribe girl today?’ she called out, walking up and leaning on the counter.

‘Suki, you know you can’t lean on the counter’ she blushed, not taking her eyes off the cookie in front of her. 

‘Sure thing, moonface.’ Yue blushed even harder at the nickname while Suki read the specials board.

Yue put down the cookie, willing her cheeks to cool as she looked at Suki. ‘What can I get for you today?’

‘Let’s see… A strawberry moon pastry and a coffee,’ she replied brightly.

Yue rolled her eyes. ‘You know the coffee here is trash, I don’t know why you keep getting it,’ she said as she reached for Suki’s pastries. As always, she added an extra little cookie to Suki’s order, something they never spoke about.

‘Mostly because it’s an excuse to talk to you,’ she replied, taking a seat at the counter. Yue blushed furiously. ‘Besides, I’m tired.’

Yue’s heart was pounding in her chest as she tried to think of something to say. ‘What had you up all night?’ she says, trying for nonchalance.

‘Oh, y’know’ here she takes a sip of her coffee and fights to conceal a grimace at the taste. ‘Hot girl shit.’

Yue giggled, turning back to her cookies. They passed a good hour like that, Yue quietly icing cakes and serving customers while Suki flirted with her. 

A week later, Yue finally finds the time to lug her telescope onto the roof and go stargazing. Ever since she left home the night sky has been a place of comfort, even if the stars look a little different from the Earth Kingdom.

She settles onto her stool, peering out at the night sky. There are a few books laid out in front of her, mostly remnants from her Water Tribe days, and she likes the challenge of locating the same stars in a new location.

Before long, there’s a thump to her right as someone joins her on the roof. Sighing, she pulls away from the eyepiece and stands to examine the potential threat. Too many times now she’s had her stargazing cut short by gangs and criminals that roam the lower ring.

She’s pleasantly surprised when she spots the green robes and golden headdress of none other than Kyoshi rushing towards her.

‘Hey, fancy seeing you here!’ Kyoshi says, slightly out of breath. She’s grinning from ear to ear, makeup less smudged than the night before. The bright smear of red on her lips catches Yue’s attention and she struggles to tear her eyes away as Kyoshi approaches.

‘Another night of fighting crime?’ she says softly.

‘Nah, it’s quiet out tonight.’ Kyoshi smiled brightly. ‘What are you up to this late at night?’

Yue looked down shyly. ‘Back in the water tribe I learnt a lot about the stars. Our sailors use them as navigators, women use them as a calendar for hunting seasons. I guess it’s just one way I can connect with my culture here in the big city.’ 

Kyoshi watched with a fascinated look on her face as she gestured to the telescope and night sky. 

‘I have a few different lenses, I mean, it’s actually pretty hard to see anything in this part of the city and oh no I’m rambling now…’ Yue trailed off, gaze glued to the floor again.

‘No! I liked it- I mean, it’s interesting, is all. You seem really passionate about it!’ Kyoshi said. ‘I have to admit, I’ve never really looked at the stars but-’

‘What do you mean you’ve never looked at the stars? Where did you even come from?’ Yue interrupts incredulously. ‘Alright, sit down.’

They settle on the rug Yue laid out, Yue pointing her telescope towards the constellations she thought Kyoshi would like.

‘That one’s Tulok, a warrior tiger seal. Every Northern Water Tribe child hears the story of his amazing battle against the otter penguin, he’s just over there.’ Kyoshi takes a long look through the eyepiece and nods appreciatively. Yue points out a few more minor constellations, notices Kyoshi creep closer until their shoulders are touching and fingers brush each other atop the rug.

‘This one’s the most important one’ Yue blushes, bracing herself for the vulnerability that accompanies sharing her tribe’s traditions. She adjusts the telescope, pointing it north. ‘These three stars are Tui and the four to the right are La. The moon and the ocean.’ She lets Kyoshi see for herself. 

‘What’s their story?’ Kyoshi asks, looking intently down the eyepiece. 

‘Well,’ Yue begins, leaning back and settling for the tale. ‘When the world was created, the spirits placed everything in harmony. Obviously humans have kind of messed everything up now, but Tui and La have maintained their cosmic balance. They’re the moon and the ocean and they circle each other in a mystical spirit oasis, according to legend.’

‘Push and pull, right?’ Kyoshi asks, looking intently at Yue now.

‘Come, stand up.’ Yue grabs Kyoshi’s hand and pulls her to her feet. ‘The constellation itself is in constant motion, just like this,’ she faces Kyoshi, circles her slowly until she joins in. ‘Push and pull, good and evil, they represent balance.’

Kyoshi stares at her intently, lips parted slightly. They circle each other for a long moment, green robes sweeping out as if to engulf the two. Yue fixates on Kyoshi’s red lips, leaning in until-

‘Alright, break it up Kyoshi!’ a woman on the other side of the roof calls. ‘Some merchants need our help in the middle ring, lets go!’

They jump apart, Kyoshi smiling apologetically. ‘I’ll see you later, Yue.’

‘See you’ Yue whispered to the air where Kyoshi stood. She packed up her telescope and went to bed, still a little dazed.

Yue’s a little slow to wake up the next morning, but when she opens the blinds she sees a note tucked between the window and its frame. She untucks it and flattens it on the counter to find Kyoshi’s message.

‘One’s shadow grows larger than life when admired by the light of the moon - proverb

I’ll see you soon, moon girl.’

Yue smiles to herself, humming traditional songs about Tui and La all the way downstairs. She smiles as she kneads dough, opens ovens and ices cakes. She smiles as she pours rancid coffee for tired customers, smiles as customers ignore the tip jar. She smiles when Suki walks in, her red hair glinting in the morning sun. Yue gazes at her, lovestruck by this beautiful girl, before realising this isn’t who she’s pining for.

‘Morning, Suki,’ she says softly, ‘how’re you doing?’

‘I need coffee. Black, with as many sugars as you’ve got’ she groans, facedown on the counter. Yue taps her on the forehead before turning to the disgusting sludge Suki calls coffee.

‘You seem tired. Were you up late?’ Yue asks as she dumps sugar into the steaming mug.

‘Yeah. Had a paper due this morning, don’t know how I got it done in time.’ She makes grabby hands for the coffee, making Yue giggle. She sits back down, guilt clawing at the edges of her mind as she remembers what she was doing all night.

They sit in silence for a few moments as Suki sips her coffee and perks up a little. She smiles widely at Yue, causing her to blush and look away.

‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed how tired you look, moonface. Lose track of time stargazing again?’ Suki asks. There’s a flicker of recognition in Yue’s mind at the nickname but it’s overwhelmed by the growing confusion. Had Suki always been this brazen? Why is Yue only noticing when she’s already fallen for another girl?

‘Something like that, yeah.’ Yue frowns at the counter. ‘Can I get you any food?’ she asks, desperately trying to avoid the silence.

‘Nah, but I was wondering if you’d like to get coffee? Like, somewhere else, as a date. You can get tea if you like, it’s more the date part I’m interested in!’ Suki says, confidence marked by slight hesitation. Yue is frozen, heart racing as she processes the words.

‘I- I’m sorry Suki, I can’t’ she says, ashamed. ‘I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to, but there’s- there’s someone else…’ she trails off. She can’t bear to look Suki in the eyes.

‘Oh! That’s, like, totally fine. I completely understand! Sorry for misreading the situation, I’ll just be going now!’ Suki gets up and all but runs out of the door, leaving a frustrated Yue in her wake.

Maybe she’s stupid, but she’d never realised Suki had been flirting with her. Maybe if she had, she wouldn’t have fallen so hard for Kyoshi. Safe to say, she closes early, heading for the roof in the hopes of some comfort.

But of course, the spirits hate her. Suki stops coming to her bakery and she hasn’t seen Kyoshi in weeks. She’s given up on stargazing and spends her nights alone in bed, reading trashy Earth Kingdom romance novels about strong and brave earthbenders falling in love with helpless peasants.

Yue is reading one such story when someone opens her window, hinges creaking loudly into the otherwise silent night. Yue sits up in bed, heart racing until she sees the green and gold of Kyoshi’s costume.

‘Kyoshi! What are you doing here?’ she all but yells, getting up and rushing over.

‘Needed a place to crash. Sorry to break in, I’ll be on my way in just a moment.’ Kyoshi grunts, holding her side as she tries to straighten.

‘Wait, let me help you! You’re hurt!’ Yue begins fussing over the wound, moving them towards the couch.

‘No, really, I’m sorry to impose like this. Just had to get a few people off my tail, I can leave now!’

Yue glared at Kyoshi. ‘First you abandon me on the rooftop, then you disappear for weeks and now you won’t even let me help you! What’s gotten into you, Kyoshi?’ Suki asks, voice stern and just a little desperate.

‘I- I thought you didn’t want to see me,’ Kyoshi winces, staring at the floor.

‘Of course I want to see you! Why would you say something like that?’

‘You wouldn’t want me if you knew who I really was.’ Kyoshi says, a sad look in her eye. Yue remembers suddenly that she’s hurt and rushes to the bathroom to find a first aid kit. She applies pressure to the wound, the gauze staining quickly.

‘I do know who you really are. I know that you’re smart, you’re kind, you obviously have a reckless streak,’ Yue cleans the gash with some alcohol, causing Kyoshi to hiss in pain for a second. ‘I know you like history and tradition, stargazing, storytelling.’ Yue looks anywhere but Kyoshi’s eyes at the next point. ‘I know you like me… I hope you like me.’

There’s a long silence in which Yue steadfastly avoids Kyoshi’s gaze. ‘I like you, Kyoshi. I like how your hair glints red in the moonlight, I like your makeup, I like how you wear such a large headpiece even when you’re fighting, just to honour your culture. I’d like to know you in the daytime, but I could live a lifetime of midnight meetings and I’d still be happy.’ She finishes dressing Kyoshi’s wound and looks away, feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Kyoshi waits a long moment, seeming to hold her breath. ‘Do you have any clothes I could borrow? I want to get out of all of this.’

‘Of course.’ Yue smiles softly, handing Kyoshi some loose pants and a shirt. ‘You can stay the night if you’d like, just be careful not to get your facepaint on my couch again.’ Kyoshi smiles tightly and heads for the bathroom. Yue exhales slowly, gathering up her nerves, balling them up and letting them go. 

Yue busies herself by preparing a pot of tea. She scrubs her eyes, hoping she hadn’t gone too far. That night on the rooftop must have been at least a month ago, maybe Kyoshi didn’t feel the same way anymore. She’s on her second cup of tea when the bathroom door opens again.

‘Hey, moonface.’ Suki smiles from the doorway, smiling nervously. Yue is frozen to the spot, unable to move. ‘Are you sure you don’t have any coffee for me?’

‘What- I- I don’t understand?’ Yue stammers. ‘Suki?’

‘That’s me.’ she says, wincing as she steps forward.

‘So when you asked me out in the shop…’ Yue’s thinking out loud as the realisation dawns on her. 

‘I thought you knew the whole time, I was so confused.’ Suki replies, timid.

‘How was I supposed to know?’ Yue asks, half genuine and half incredulous.

‘I thought it would take more than face paint to trick you, seeing as you saw me every day. I called you moon face and moon girl all the time!’ Suki yells, words tinged with giggles.

‘You could have just told me, I didn’t need the dramatic reveal. Tui and La, we’re both so stupid.’ Yue sighs, smiling at Suki.

‘I remember you saying something about liking me? Liking me a lot, even?’ Suki asks, pulling a face as though amused.

‘Oh, just shut up and kiss me.’ Yue beams from ear to ear as Suki - no, Kyoshi - embraces her.


End file.
